Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe will start against Green Bay Packers – NFL News
After going through a rough offseason, Kansas City Chiefs will finally give the chance to their rookie nose tackle Dontari Poe to start against Green Bay Packers on Thursday, August 30, 2012.
Chiefs’ head coach Romeo Crennel announced the news while talking to media after practice session on Tuesday, August 28, 2012. He said:
"Probably Dontari might get the chance to start because it's Green Bay. What they represent is Title Town, they're the Packers, and to play in that environment, I think will be good for anybody, but particularly for a rookie."
Poe will start in the fourth and final preseason game in place of defensive tackle Anthony Toribio who is recovering from an ankle injury.
It will be Poe’s first-ever start of his professional career. He has received a fair amount of criticism during the entire offseason.
Poe faced difficulties in playing as a nose tackle which was a new world for him. Also, Poe took a lot of time to understand the defensive scheme put in place by the Chiefs.
Poe is facing a tough rookie season ahead, as the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft will likely to remain a mere backup behind the outstanding pair of Toribio and Jerrell Powe.
Coach Crennel has shown a lot of patience with Poe. It is usually not expected from an 11th overall pick to take so much in understanding the professional game, but Crennel believes that things are going in the right direction. He said:
"He's making progress, but he's still that rookie that reverts back to what he knows at times and he forgets how to remember how we want to do it. You have to point those out to him and get him to correct it. He's a conscientious student, so I think that
he will get it corrected."
Chiefs drafted Poe with hopes that he would be an instant hit. He was initially planned to take the starting position in place of Toribio.
Toribio joined the Chiefs as undrafted free agent. He was a part of practice squad through the entire season before being added into the first team this offseason.
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